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"The plot of an Alafair Burke thriller doesn't just rip from the headlines. She's one step ahead of them. 212 scares you and keeps you turning the pages into the wee hours."
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Some Thoughts on Book JacketsMonday, July 7, 2008
Some thoughts about book jackets... As a writer, I concern myself first and foremost with the pages that go inside of the book: the beginning, the middle, and the end. I hate coming up with titles. Sometimes they've come naturally to me ("Missing Justice"); sometimes I really work at them, going so far as to poll my friends ("Judgment Calls"). Apparently I'm better at writing the insides of the book than the title on the outside. Entertainment Weekly, despite including "Dead Connection" as a "Must List" pick, admonished readers not to "let the dopey title turn you off of this otherwise satisfying mystery." Because I recognize my relative strengths and weaknesses, I'm glad that the title is the only part of the outside of the book about which I have any say. What distinguishes a great book jacket from a lousy one? Beats me. Case in point: my new book Angel's Tip (forthcoming August 19) was originally going to look like this:  Pretty hot, right? But apparently it just didn't convey the right message. Now the jacket looks like this:  Really hot, right? It's better, at least I think so (do you?). But why? What makes this book look like the kind of book that a certain demographic (to wit: people who would enjoy my books) might pick up from the front table? The subtlety? The city skyline? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
posted by Alafair Burke at 10:56 AM
2 Comments:Previous Posts
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I do like the new cover better than the original. I am reading your blog. You are an awesome author. Thanks for your efforts. -J@N WRIGHT, Vacaville, CA
Hi Alafair,
I don't think it's the skyline but the complete cutting end of the scissors (tip!) which sets the new cover apart and above the first.
That said, I've never been one to judge a book by its cover!
Especially when the author's last name is Burke.
DJ